Detachable heel.



J. G. BARNES.

DBTAGHABLE HEEL.

APPLIOATION FILED APB. 11, 1911.

1,019,585. l Patented Mar. 5,1912.

\7//////////////////V/////A www c L f 6 W't 2 Inventar- CDI, messes cfa/zn ar/wd Afiorncyvs JOI-IN GEORGE BARNES, OF HARROGATE, ENGLAND.

DETACHABLE HEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led April 11, 1911.

Patented Mar. 5, 1912.

seriai No. 620,320.

*I To all whom 'it-may concern:

Beit known that I, JOHN GEORGE BARNES, of 38 Leeds road, Harrogate, in the county of York, England, have invented new and useful Improvements in Detachable Heels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in that type of interchangeable heels and top pieces for the same,-both of which are hereinafter termed and included in the term l? top pieces for boots and shoes,-in which as the top pieces become worn down on one side can be changed from one boot to the other, whereby the heels are always kept straight-, y-or nearly sof-and the boots kept in good order to the end. Vhen the top pieces are completely worn out they can be discarded and new ones substituted which may be attached by the wearer,thereby obviating the necessity of sending the boots or shoes to a boot repairer.

-Heretofore it has been proposed to pro- Vide top pieces which are connected with the main portion of the heel by various means, but considerable difliculty has been experienced in securing a construction which may be readily and conveniently detached, or

placed in position, and a construction which would stand up satisfactorily in use.

The object of the present invention is to overcome these difficulties heretofore found in devices of this nature, and consists, generally, in providing a two-part plate or member so arranged and inclosed that the plate will exhibit only a single thickness when in place, provision being made for securing the parts against said plate, and from lateral movement.

More specifically, in carrying this invention into practice, a sheet metal plate is provided which is attached to the main portion of the heel, and which has a portion thereof cut away so as to provide an opening having parallel marginal edges or sides to receive a slide plate, provision being made for securing this slidin plate in place to hold the sections of the eel together.

In the drawings hereunto annexed I have shown two methods for carrying this invention into practice, in which* Figure 1. is a front elevation of a plate suitable for fixing to the main portion of the heel provided with a recess extending from the rear of the heel; Fig. 2. is a sectional elevation on line A, B, Fig. 1; Fig. 3. is an elevation of a sliding plate which fits into the recess shown at Fig. l; Fig. 4. is a sectional elevation on line C, D, Fig. 3; Fig. 5. is au end elevation of Fig. 3; Fig. G. is an elevation showing two plates together; Fig. 7. an end elevation of the same; Fig. 8. a transverse section on line E, F, Fig. 6; Fig. 9. a sectional elevation of a heel with detachable plates shown in full and constructed according to this invention; Fig. 10. a diagrammatic view showing the position of the two plates when detached from the heel or portion thereof in order to pass over and lock with the tapering pins; Fig. 11. an elevation of the main portion of a heel with the fixed portion of the plate secured thereto; Fig. 12. an elevation of a detachable to piece of a heel with the sliding plate iixeld thereto; Fic. 13. a sectional elevation of the 'heel and wlth the detachable plates shown in full applied in the same manner as at Figs. 11 and 12; Fig. 14. is a front elevation of a detaching tool; Fig. 15. a side elevation of the same.

Like parts in all the views are marked with similar letters of reference.

a is the main portion of a boot or shoe heel which is built up in any desired number of layers of suitable material, or of wood and it is provided with a detachable top lift b consist-ing of one or more layers. The heel may be formed in the ordinary manner and is fixed to the lasted upper by any suitable and ordinary means.

To the upper surface of the main portion c of the heel is fixed in Fig. 9,--or to the detachable top b as in Figs. 12 and 13,- by any suitable means, such as rivets, or screws, a plate c formed of sheet metal, say about 24 B. W. gage. The plate c is made of the same size and contour as the heel to which it is to be attached so as to cover the outer flat surface of the same. In the plate is formed a recess hereinafter termed an opening d by cutting away a portion of the plate. The recess as shown at Fig. 1. extends from the back or rear of the heel inward to within a suitable distance of the breast e of the heel, thus providing an opening d with parallel sides f, and also leaving a strip c1 of metal at the front of the plate. The opening Z may or may not be slightly enlarged in an angular direction at or near its inner end g. The opening is also enlarged at h for a suitable distance from the rear of the heel inward so as to permit of the sides f being turned slightly upward and thus form a slide for a second plate to be hereafter described. The sides or walls of the enlargement it of the opening also form stops for preventing any side play of the second plate at its rear. At the breast of the heel are provided a number, say, two or more, slightly tapering pins z', which are arranged to be riveted to the plate, and also to project a suitable distance above its upper surface. The pins z' are fixed at a suitable distance from the breast of the heel as well as from each other. The pins z' may, or may not, be slightly chamfered on their rear upper edges. A second piece of metal j of the same thickness as the plate c is provided and made in two widths, that is to say, the larger portion is provided with parallel sides lo which extend from the rear of the plate to within a suitable distance of its breast and recessed portion. The parallel sides 7c are inclined or tapered, as shown at Figs. 8 and 5 for a portion of their length so as to lit in and slide under the parallel edges f of the plate c, as shown at Fig. 8, thus leaving a plain or portion at the rear of plate which fits into the space between the sides it of plate c so as to be level therewith when two parts are in position. The upper end ofthe wide portion of the plate j is made to tit into the enlarged portion of the opening' between the sides 7L thereof and its rear end Z is also shaped to the same contour as the rear of the heel so that when the two plates are in position as shown at Fig. 6 they completely cover the upper surface of the main,-or detachable,-por tion of the heel. The inner and smaller' end m of the plate j is provided with a number of,*say, two,-holes n corresponding with the pins a' with which they engage.

On reference to Figs. 3 and G of the drawings it will readily be seen that the width of the plate j between the edges f: is

the same as between the sides 7L of the opening in plate c and the turned up portions f of the plate c are made practically a continuation of that width in order to form a slide for guiding the enlarged portion 7c of plate j, while the smaller end of the plate j is about the same width as the distance between the two parallel edges f of the first named plate c. In the upper surface of the portion m of plate j is formed, by stamping or otherwise, a tapering or other shaped recess 0 for the reception of the pointed end p of a detaching tool g, as shown at Figs. 14 and 15. The inner or horizontal shaped end 1 of the plate j is also turned upward slightly at an angle so as to permit of the inner ends as shown at Fig. l() more readily sliding over the tapering pins z' when the two parts of the heel are being iixed in position. The plate y' is fixed, as shown at Fig. 9, to the inner surface of the detachable top lift b, when that portion is required be shaped to the contour of the breast of the heel l/Vhen the top piece ZJ is pushed forward,

as at Fig. 9, from the rear to the breast e of the heel, the broad portion of the second plate j will then pass and slide under the narrow portion j' of the recess in the first plate c, whereby a slide is formed until the second plate come to the portion c1 of the plate c which is not cut away, then the tongue/or reduced portion m of the second plate j will rise over it, as shown at Fig."l l0, and the portion m acts, when the 'plates are in position, as-a fulcrum, the rear portion of the plate j simultaneously acting as a lever. The top piece Z2 is then continued to be pushed forward until the holes W, in the front portion m of plate j pass over and engage with the fixed tapering pins i of plate c when the holes are wedged tightly on the same and the sliding plate y' held fast so that it cannot move either backward or forward until raised by the tool (y. When fixed in the position shown at Fig. 6 the two parts will not readilyseparate unless a suitable tool, such as g, provided with a pointed end 29, and4 with or without a proiection s on each side thereof is inserted into the recess 0 between the two plates for raising the reduced portion of the plate clear of the pins z', then the tongue or reduced portion of plate j can be lifted over the tapering pins e' and the top lift and plate 7' attached thereto can be pushed backward toward the rear of the heel so that it can readily be made to slide out of position. Then the two plates are locked together any appreciable sidewise shake of the plate is obviated by the wide portion of the second plate j passing under the longitudinal edges f of the remaining rear portion of the plate o and the rear plain and level portion of plate j is held in position by the sides /L of the enlarged portion of the opening in the rear of the plate c fixed to the main portion of the heel.

By the rear portion of the second plate j being placed in the opening 7L and the portion m of the slide j as just described pushed forward until the tapering pins z' have entered the holes a of plate j the said pins will then retain and securely hold the front and reduced portion m of plate in position, and the necessity of having the said plates made with'mathematical accuracy is then avoided, as the tapering of the pins ,-and making them smaller at the top than the diameter of the holes n,-provides for and takes up any movement in the plate j as it is pressed on to the pins.

In some cases where it is found necessary to slide the detachable top piece b on to the main portion a of the heel from the breast e of the heel instead of from its rear as previously described for Fig. 9, all the alteration that is required is to reverse the position of the plates o and j, that is to say, in this instance the plate c will be fixed to the detachable to-p piece I) as shown at Figs. 12 and 13 and the plate y' to the main portion of the heel, as shown at Figs. 11 and 13. In this case the main portion of the heel will be suitably recessed to receive the inclined portion r, Fig. 10, and tapering recess 0 of the plate jj. In all other respects the two plates are the same and act in a similar manner to that described for Figs. 1 to 9 when the top piece is pressed forward from the rear e of the heel on to the main portion thereof in the direction of arrow 2.

It will be readily understood that although a detachable top piece b is described and illustrated as being placed on to the main portion of the heel, yet it is to be distinctly understood that if so desired the plates c and j may be respectively fixed on to the sole of the boot and on to the inner surface of the heel so that a heel could be attached by the means herein described to the sole of the boot instead-of being a fixture as is ordinarily the case.

What I claim is 1. A device for securing a detachable portion of a boot or shoe heel to its main portion comprising an attaching plate made in two parts of diEerent sizes arranged to partly lit within each other and adapted when placed together to partly slide under and partly over each other, said smaller part being in the form of a lever, said larger part having a fulcrum supporting the smaller part and adapted to bind the parts together.

2. In a device for securing a detachable portion of a boot or shoe heel to its main portion the combination of a plate shaped to the contour of the heel and provided with a central recess extending from the rear to within a suitable distance of its front portion,`said recess being -enlarged at its rear, and the edges of the 'smaller portion of the recess being turned slightly at an angle to 'form a parallel slide, with a second plate of the same width as and arranged to fit into the enlarged portion of the recess, said second plate being shaped at its rear end in conformity with the heel and slidably engaging beneath the marginal bent edges of the recess of the first part, and outstanding taper'in pins carried upon the forward end of the rst plate, said second plate having a reduced forward end provided with openings receiving the pins to lock the plates together.

3. In a device for securing a detachable portion of a boot or shoe heel Vto its main portion the combination of an attaching plate made in two parts of different widths arranged to partly fit one with in the other and under and partly over each other, the smaller' plate being perforated at the front and arranged to fit at the back into an opening at the rear of the larger plate for completing its contour, and tapering pins fixed to the front of the larger plate and engaging in the perforations of the smaller plate to lock the plates together.

fl. The combination with a fixed heel section, of a detachable heel section, a plate attached to one of said sections, and a second plate attached to the other of said sections, one of said plates being smaller than the other and adapted to fit partly within and partly over the other whereby said ixed and said detachable sections are secured together.

5. In combination, a receiving plate having a longitudinal opening in one end and having the marginal edges of the opening bent out of the plane of the plate and providing a forward cross-piece to the plate, a sliding plate fitting in the opening in the receiving plate and having its edges bent out of the plane of the sliding plate for engagement beneath the bent marginal edges of the receiving plate, said sliding plate having a reduced prolongation resting against the cross-piece of the receiving plate, and interlocking pins carried between the plates, the interfitting bent edges of the plates binding the prolongation against the receiving plate.

6. The combination with a fixed and u tietachable heel section, interlocking attaching plates carried upon the opposite faces of the sections and having interfitting edges binding the plates together, an elongated portion on one plate having perforations and yieldingly engaging against the opposite plate, and outstanding pins carried upon the second plate for interlocking engagement with the perforations in the elongated portion oi' the first plate, said elongated portion having a recess in its outer end adapted to receive an instrument to release the plates.

JHN GEORGE BARNES.

Witnesses:

JAMES l/V. CALToN, NORMAN T. BROOKE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

